United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Encyclopedia
The United States Secretary of Veterans' Affairs is the head of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
, the department concerned with veterans' benefits and related matters. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet
and second to last at 17th in the line of succession
to the presidency
(the position was last until the addition of the United States Department of Homeland Security
in 2006). To date, all appointees and acting appointees to the post have been United States military veterans, but that is not a requirement to fill the position.
When the post of Secretary is vacant, the United States Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs
or any other person designated by the President serves as Acting Secretary until the President nominates and the United States Senate
confirms a new Secretary.
On December 8, 2008, President Barack Obama announced he would nominate retired army General Eric Shinseki
to be the 7th Secretary of Veterans Affairs. He was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate
on January 20, 2009.
Status
served as acting secretary in his capacity as Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs
September 26, 1992—January 20, 1993.
Hershel W. Gober
served as acting secretary in his capacity as Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs
July 1, 1997—January 2, 1998 and July 25, 2000—January 20, 2001.
West served as acting Secretary from January 2, 1998 to May 5, 1998.
Gordon H. Mansfield
served as acting secretary in his capacity as Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs
October 1—December 20, 2007.
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...
, the department concerned with veterans' benefits and related matters. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet
United States Cabinet
The Cabinet of the United States is composed of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States, which are generally the heads of the federal executive departments...
and second to last at 17th in the line of succession
United States presidential line of succession
The United States presidential line of succession defines who may become or act as President of the United States upon the incapacity, death, resignation, or removal from office of a sitting president or a president-elect.- Current order :This is a list of the current presidential line of...
to the presidency
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
(the position was last until the addition of the United States Department of Homeland Security
United States Department of Homeland Security
The United States Department of Homeland Security is a cabinet department of the United States federal government, created in response to the September 11 attacks, and with the primary responsibilities of protecting the territory of the United States and protectorates from and responding to...
in 2006). To date, all appointees and acting appointees to the post have been United States military veterans, but that is not a requirement to fill the position.
When the post of Secretary is vacant, the United States Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs
United States Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs
The Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in the United States government, is the chief operating officer of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, responsible for a nationwide system of health care services, benefits programs, and national cemeteries for America's veterans and their...
or any other person designated by the President serves as Acting Secretary until the President nominates and the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
confirms a new Secretary.
On December 8, 2008, President Barack Obama announced he would nominate retired army General Eric Shinseki
Eric Shinseki
Eric Ken Shinseki is a retired United States Army four-star general who is currently serving as the 7th United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs. His final U.S. Army post was as the 34th Chief of Staff of the Army...
to be the 7th Secretary of Veterans Affairs. He was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
on January 20, 2009.
List of Secretaries of Veterans Affairs
PartiesStatus
| No. | Portrait | Name | State of Residence | Took Office | Left Office | President(s) President of the United States The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces.... |
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Ed Derwinski Ed Derwinski Edward Joseph Derwinski is an American politician who served as the first Cabinet-level United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs, serving under President George H. W. Bush from March 15, 1989 to September 26, 1992... |
Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,... |
March 15, 1989 | September 26, 1992 | George H. W. Bush George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to... |
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| Anthony Principi Anthony Principi Anthony Joseph Principi was the 4th United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs. He was appointed by President George W. Bush on January 23, 2001, and resigned on January 26, 2005... |
California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... |
September 26, 1992 | January 20, 1993 | ||||
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Jesse Brown Jesse Brown Jesse Brown was the United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs under President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1997.-Early life:... |
Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,... |
January 22, 1993 | July 1, 1997 | Bill Clinton Bill Clinton William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation... |
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| Hershel W. Gober Hershel W. Gober Hershel Wayne Gober is a former government official and Vietnam War veteran. He served as acting United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs on two occasions during the administration of Bill Clinton... |
Arkansas Arkansas Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River... |
July 1, 1997 | January 2, 1998 | ||||
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Togo D. West, Jr. Togo D. West, Jr. Togo Dennis West, Jr. is an American attorney and public official who was the third person to occupy the post of Secretary of Veterans Affairs. He was nominated by President Bill Clinton on January 27, 1998, during Clinton's second term, and was confirmed by the Senate on May 5, 1998. He had... |
New York New York New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east... |
January 2, 1998 | May 5, 1998 | |||
| May 5, 1998 | July 25, 2000 | ||||||
| Hershel W. Gober Hershel W. Gober Hershel Wayne Gober is a former government official and Vietnam War veteran. He served as acting United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs on two occasions during the administration of Bill Clinton... |
Arkansas Arkansas Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River... |
July 25, 2000 | January 20, 2001 | ||||
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Anthony Principi Anthony Principi Anthony Joseph Principi was the 4th United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs. He was appointed by President George W. Bush on January 23, 2001, and resigned on January 26, 2005... |
California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... |
January 23, 2001 | January 26, 2005 | George W. Bush George W. Bush George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000.... |
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Jim Nicholson | Colorado Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains... |
January 26, 2005 | October 1, 2007 | |||
| Gordon H. Mansfield Gordon H. Mansfield Gordon H. Mansfield is a former Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs.-Political career:Mansfield was nominated to serve as Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs by President George W. Bush on November 3, 2003, and confirmed by the United States Senate on January 22, 2004. He previously served as VA... |
Florida Florida Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it... |
October 1, 2007 | December 20, 2007 | ||||
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James B. Peake James Peake James Benjamin Peake is a former United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs, serving from 2007 to 2009. In 2004, he retired from a 38-year United States Army career. He also served as the 40th Surgeon General of the United States Army.... , Lt.Gen., USA (Ret.) |
Missouri Missouri Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It... |
December 20, 2007 | January 20, 2009 | |||
| 7 |  |
Eric Shinseki Eric Shinseki Eric Ken Shinseki is a retired United States Army four-star general who is currently serving as the 7th United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs. His final U.S. Army post was as the 34th Chief of Staff of the Army... , General General (United States) In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. General ranks above lieutenant general and below General of the Army or General of the Air Force; the Marine Corps does not have an... , USA (Ret.) |
Hawaii Hawaii Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of... |
January 20, 2009 | Incumbent | Barack Obama Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in... |
Acting Secretaries of Veterans Affairs
Anthony PrincipiAnthony Principi
Anthony Joseph Principi was the 4th United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs. He was appointed by President George W. Bush on January 23, 2001, and resigned on January 26, 2005...
served as acting secretary in his capacity as Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs
United States Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs
The Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in the United States government, is the chief operating officer of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, responsible for a nationwide system of health care services, benefits programs, and national cemeteries for America's veterans and their...
September 26, 1992—January 20, 1993.
Hershel W. Gober
Hershel W. Gober
Hershel Wayne Gober is a former government official and Vietnam War veteran. He served as acting United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs on two occasions during the administration of Bill Clinton...
served as acting secretary in his capacity as Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs
United States Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs
The Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in the United States government, is the chief operating officer of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, responsible for a nationwide system of health care services, benefits programs, and national cemeteries for America's veterans and their...
July 1, 1997—January 2, 1998 and July 25, 2000—January 20, 2001.
West served as acting Secretary from January 2, 1998 to May 5, 1998.
Gordon H. Mansfield
Gordon H. Mansfield
Gordon H. Mansfield is a former Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs.-Political career:Mansfield was nominated to serve as Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs by President George W. Bush on November 3, 2003, and confirmed by the United States Senate on January 22, 2004. He previously served as VA...
served as acting secretary in his capacity as Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs
United States Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs
The Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in the United States government, is the chief operating officer of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, responsible for a nationwide system of health care services, benefits programs, and national cemeteries for America's veterans and their...
October 1—December 20, 2007.
Living former Secretaries of Veterans Affairs
- Edward Joseph DerwinskiEd DerwinskiEdward Joseph Derwinski is an American politician who served as the first Cabinet-level United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs, serving under President George H. W. Bush from March 15, 1989 to September 26, 1992...
- Togo Dennis West, Jr.Togo D. West, Jr.Togo Dennis West, Jr. is an American attorney and public official who was the third person to occupy the post of Secretary of Veterans Affairs. He was nominated by President Bill Clinton on January 27, 1998, during Clinton's second term, and was confirmed by the Senate on May 5, 1998. He had...
- Anthony Joseph PrincipiAnthony PrincipiAnthony Joseph Principi was the 4th United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs. He was appointed by President George W. Bush on January 23, 2001, and resigned on January 26, 2005...
- Robert James NicholsonJim Nicholson (U.S. politician)Robert James "Jim" Nicholson is an attorney, real estate developer, and a former Republican Party chairman. He was the United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs from January 26, 2005 until October 1, 2007.-Personal life:...
- James PeakeJames PeakeJames Benjamin Peake is a former United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs, serving from 2007 to 2009. In 2004, he retired from a 38-year United States Army career. He also served as the 40th Surgeon General of the United States Army....
See also
- Administrator of Veterans Affairs (United States)Administrator of Veterans Affairs (United States)The Administrator of Veterans Affairs was the head of the Veterans Administration, a United States Government agency responsible for military veterans benefits. The administrator was appointed by the President...
- United States Department of Veterans AffairsUnited States Department of Veterans AffairsThe United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...
- Veterans Health AdministrationVeterans Health AdministrationThe Veterans Health Administration is the component of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs led by the Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Health that implements the medical assistance program of the VA through the administration and operation of numerous VA outpatient clinics,...